Cain (D), Poliquin (R) Projected to Win 2nd District Nominations

State Sen. Emily Cain has defeated colleague Troy Jackson to become the Democratic nominee for Maine’s open 2nd Congressional District seat.

Cain, a University of Maine employee, will take on the winner of the hotly contested Republican primary in November. She was winning 72% to 28 % Tuesday evening with 329 out of 422 precincts reporting in unofficial returns.

U.S. House District 2 North State Dem – Primary

329 of 422 precincts – 78 percent

x-Emily Cain 15,030 – 72 percent

Troy Jackson 5,711 – 28 percent

On the Republican side, Tea-party favorite Bruce Poliquin has won the Republican primary.

Poliquin is a Harvard-educated businessman. He was beating establishment Republican Kevin Raye 56 % to 44% with 329 of 422 precincts reporting in unofficial returns.

Throughout the campaign, Poliquin framed Raye as a “liberal” and “career politician” who wouldn’t stand up for conservative principles in Washington. Poliquin attacked his opponent for supporting a measure to study a universal health care model and not joining him in signing a no-tax pledge.

Raye has said Poliquin’s unbending partisan approach wouldn’t be effective in Washington and that compromise is possible without losing ground on GOP values.

The seat became open when U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud decided to run for governor.